1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to file management of a device, such as a printing device, which stores a large number of files in partitioned storage areas.
2. Description of the Related Art
A device (a peripheral device) is connected via a network to external devices such as a computer (PC) and operated by the external devices. A hard disk drive serving as a mass storage device is provided in the device to store a large number of files (documents), and it is operated as a document management server. The hard disk drive is provided with partitioned specific storage areas, and each partitioned specific storage area is called a box. A user stores files into a box and can use the files stored in the box. The device is for example a multi-function peripheral having many functions of a printer, a scanner, a facsimile and the like, besides the above-mentioned document management server.
An administrator of a device manages the boxes maintained by users. The boxes include private boxes which are registered by setting a password for each user. A private box cannot be assessed without the user password. In order to facilitate the management of boxes, for example, in a system disclosed in JP-A 2000-235642, a private box can be automatically registered even when there exists no administrator.
Meanwhile, in these devices, not anyone can perform or change the device settings, and only a device administrator (also called as system administrator) can set or change the device setting. For example, the device setting for a MFP includes network setting, register of the destinations in abbreviation keys or compression keys, setting of default values such as image processing conditions or reading conditions. The system administrator can perform all the settings and modifications with respect to the devices to be managed and can also perform the file manipulation and box manipulation. For example, in JP-A 11-45034/1999, it is proposed that a system manager can delete image information even if the system manager is not a normal user.